List of current United States Senate committees
This is a complete list of U.S. congressional committees (standing committees and select or special committees) that are currently operating in the United States Senate.
Standing committees
As of 2012[update], there are 93 senate committees, 16 standing committees with 73 subcommittees and 4 non-standing committees .
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Special, select, and other committees of the U.S. Senate
There are four non-standing, select, or special committees, which are treated similarly to standing committees.[1]
| Committee | Chair | Vice Chairman |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Affairs | Maria Cantwell (D-WA) | John Barrasso (R-WY) |
| Select Committee on Ethics | Barbara Boxer (D-CA) | Johnny Isakson (R-GA) |
| Select Committee on Intelligence | Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) | Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) |
| Special Committee on Aging | Bill Nelson (D-FL) | Susan Collins (R-ME) |
Committee classes
Senate committees are divided, according to relative importance, into three categories: Class A, Class B, and Class C. Individual Senators are in general limited to service on two Class A committees and one Class B committee. Assignment to Class C committees is made without reference to a member's service on any other panels.[2]
Standing committees
Standing committees are permanent bodies with specific responsibilities spelled out in the Senate's rules. Twelve of the sixteen current standing committees are Class A panels. They are Agriculture; Appropriations; Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Energy and Natural Resources; Environment and Public Works; Finance; Foreign Relations; Governmental Affairs; Judiciary; and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.[citation needed]
There are four Class B standing committees: Budget; Rules and Administration; Small Business; and Veterans' Affairs. There are currently no Class C standing committees.[citation needed]
Other, select and special committees
Other (i.e., Indian Affairs), select and special committees are ranked as Class B or Class C committees. They are created for clearly specified purposes. There are currently two Class B committees: the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Special Committee on Aging, and two Class C committees: the Committee on Indian Affairs and the Select Committee on Ethics.[citation needed]
Joint committees
Joint Committees are used for purposes of legislative and administrative coordination. At present there are four: the Joint Economic Committee (Class B), the Joint Committee on the Library (Class C), the Joint Committee on Printing (Class C), and the Joint Committee on Taxation (Class C).[citation needed]
Jurisdiction
Standing committees in the Senate have their jurisdiction set by three primary sources: Senate Rules, ad hoc Senate Resolutions, and Senate Resolutions related to committee funding. To see an overview of the jurisdictions of standing committees in the Senate, see Standing Rules of the United States Senate, Rule XXV.
References
- ^ "Committees Home". United States Senate, at Senate.gov. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ "Committee Assignment Process in the U.S. Senate: Democratic and Republican Party Procedures". CRS Report for Congress. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
External links
- "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". Congress.gov. (see also Biographical Directory of the United States Congress)
- "Committee Assignments / Standing Committees". GPO Access. pp. 6–8. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
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